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Home » The Gruen Model Database » 1940's » "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family
"Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12824] Thu, 09 July 2020 19:40 Go to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 649
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
Model name : Trooper
Type : Curvex
Period/date : 1940s to post-war
Gender : men's

Case Maker : Wadsworth
Case Material : either 14k gold, 10k gold, or 10k gold over sterling silver (all shown below)
Case Serial :
Case Style no : 450

Caliber : 440
Movement Maker : Gruen Precision factory
Movement Serial:

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12825 is a reply to message #12824] Thu, 09 July 2020 19:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 649
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
This seems a fitting place to memorialize my Trooper family. All the case types, and two of the dial styles.

I had to sell the 14k one - it goes into the mail today. But here's a shot of them all together.

If anyone is interested, I'm probably going to sell the left-most (10k GF) one. It has a bad balance, but otherwise looks good. Now that I don't have the set, I have no reason to keep it. You can tell from the picture which one gets worn... (I really like the tarnished sterling look.)

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12826 is a reply to message #12825] Thu, 09 July 2020 20:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Gary
Messages: 2108
Registered: May 2013
Location: Left Coast
Gruen Authority
Cheerleader
Wonderful collection of pink troopers! Funny you collected pink, I collected yellow.

Gotta wonder if the gold in the trooper case line had a different alloy makeup because of the war? My GF trooper is tarnished like yours. Out of all my 100 so ought gruens this is the only tarnished one I have run into except now seeing yours.

Solid gold troopers seems to be the norm as well. The inscribed one is solid. I would loved to added the one you sold to my collection. Very Happy

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12827 is a reply to message #12826] Thu, 09 July 2020 20:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 649
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
My tarnished one is 10k on a sterling base. I'm pretty sure that the tarnish is silver tarnish migrating through the gold. Does yours have an S on the case beneath 440 450? If so it's sterling base too. I'm 99% confident already.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12829 is a reply to message #12827] Thu, 09 July 2020 20:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ephemerald
Messages: 1039
Registered: October 2018
Location: City of Lake Salt
Gruen Authority
Your lugs look tarnished where Gary's does not at all, interesting....hard to tell for sure though.

Matthias

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12830 is a reply to message #12829] Thu, 09 July 2020 21:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Gary
Messages: 2108
Registered: May 2013
Location: Left Coast
Gruen Authority
Cheerleader
Yes the S notation. Just seems some what of a coincidence that 2 troopers have it.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12831 is a reply to message #12830] Fri, 10 July 2020 02:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 649
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
Tons of watches have it. I collect them. I can show you wristwatches, pocketwatches, whatever you want to see. Nearly all with that tarnish; all with sterling base.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12832 is a reply to message #12831] Fri, 10 July 2020 02:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timeliz
Messages: 602
Registered: May 2013
Location: Northern California
Gruen Master
I also have numerous sterling base cases,
and all of them tarnish if I don't keep them polished.

Like that's gonna happen.

"Some days are diamonds, some days are stones..." -John Denver

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12842 is a reply to message #12832] Sat, 11 July 2020 02:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JackW is currently offline  JackW
Messages: 1869
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver
Gruen Authority
Head Janitor
Site Admin
On one of the Facebook watch groups, there was a similar discussion on the tarnishing of gold over silver filled metal. I posited that the materials that the storage box is made from may be off-gassing something (formaldehyde? hydrogen sulfide?) and potentially exacerbating the tarnishing. I'd suggest a ziploc baggie; the tarnish is coming from reaction with something in the air (sulfur based generally).

All I know is based on hard work & writing by others. I can only aspire to augment this body of knowledge. If I am wrong it is because of my own failings. -me

"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Newton

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12849 is a reply to message #12842] Sat, 11 July 2020 16:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
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Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
Yes - anything you can do to prevent air circulation is good. Silver tarnishes (slowly) in plain air, even without additional environmental factors.

I like the tarnish look though (at least when it's uniform and well-developed). It's actually a big part of the reason that I pick up the sterling ones whenever I can.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12851 is a reply to message #12849] Sat, 11 July 2020 21:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timeliz
Messages: 602
Registered: May 2013
Location: Northern California
Gruen Master
Silver based cases are my preference. Even when the gold layer wears off, the case is still beautiful, and no wear-through holes as with other base metals.

"Some days are diamonds, some days are stones..." -John Denver

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12852 is a reply to message #12851] Sat, 11 July 2020 23:47 Go to previous message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 649
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
And that's the other part!

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